Pages

Tuesday, September 16, 2008

Ancestral Quest 12.1 Available to Sync with NFS

Renee's Note: I found the following email on FHCNET from Gaylon Findlay stating Ancestral Quest 12.1 is now available to all, and able to sync with new FamilySearch. This is the first commercial product available to sync with NFS. In the coming months we will see FamilyInsight, RootsMagic and Legacy offer their own versions.

All:

We know that many PAF 5 users and Family History Center consultants are anxiously awaiting the release of FamilySearch Certified PAF Add-ins to help them synchronize PAF 5 data with the Family Tree of new.FamilySearch.org. Incline Software released Ancestral Quest 12.1over a month ago to a limited group, and we are now ready to open up access to any PAF 5 user who would like to synchronize their PAF 5 data with new.FamilySearch.org, and to any Family History Center that would like to have a copy of AQ 12.1 avaliable for their patrons.

Things you should know about this certified PAF add-in:

Incline Software gave a copy of the AQ source code to the LDS church in 1999, from which PAF 4 and PAF 5 were derived. So if you are familiar with PAF 5, and you use Ancestral Quest 12.1, most of it will feel very familiar to you.

Even though AQ 12.1 is a full program that could replace PAF 5, you can also use AQ simply as an Add-in for PAF 5. If you don't care to use all the features of AQ, simply use the new features that synchronize your PAF 5 data with new.FamilySearch.org and ignore the rest of the program. After you install AQ to your computer, you will find it listed in the "Tools" menu of PAF 5. You can use this tool, and focus on AQ's menu labeled "FamilySearch" to synchronize your PAF 5 data with nFS.

You can download LDS ordinance data directly from NFS into your PAF file. You will find this easier than using the old methods of searching through the IGI to update your temple data -- in part because the FamilySearch team has already combined many of the duplicate records that used to exist in the IGI.

You can try AQ 12.1 for free for 60 days. After the 60 days, you can continue to view your PAF 5 data with NFS IDs, you can continue to link your PAF records to NFS, and import Family Lines from NFS without purchasing a key to fully unlock the program. To otherwise exchange data between your PAF file and NFS, you would need to purchase a key after 60 days. Family History Centers are granted a free license to activate AQ on all the computers in their center. If you would like to receive the unlock key for your center, send a request to ancquest@ancquest.com.

There are screens to let you quickly link any of your PAF 5 records with their corresponding records in the Family Tree of new.FamilySearch.org

You can use some extra options in the Advanced Filtering to determine which of your records are linked to nFS and which are not

You can import new records and data directly from nFS into your PAF 5 file

You can upload your PAF 5 records and data directly to nFS

You can download ancestral lines from NFS directly into either a new PAF file, or into your existing PAF file. This will include all LDS ordinances for these people. (This feature will continue to be free, even after the 60-day trial expires.)

If you download LDS ordinances labeled "Ready" -- indicating that they can be submitted for temple work, you can quickly find these records using the Advanced Filtering by searching for "Any Ordinance Date" matching "Ready".

AQ 12.1 has been out of beta testing for 6 weeks, now, and is being released to the third phase of its roll-out.

To download a copy of this new FamilySearch certified PAF add-in, go to this web page:

Whether you already have training on how to use the new.FamilySearch.org or not, you will certainly have questions about how to synchronize your PAF 5 data with the Family Tree. We recommend that you watch the tutorial we have provided for PAF 5 users. It is available on this page:

Be aware that the FamilySearch team is expected to provide us with additional processes (called APIs) that will allow AQ to give you more options in the near future. For now, AQ 12.1 provides the tools you need to start linking your PAF 5 records with NFS.

In the near future, AQ will also provide these other capabilities not yet in the program:

Allow you to download sources from NFS into your PAF 5 file (AQ will let you view the NFS sources now, but you cannot yet make them part of your PAF 5 file)

Allow you to create a source for each record or piece of information you download into your PAF 5 file from NFS

Allow you to separate improperly combined persons in NFS

Of course, you can only use these new features in AQ if you have an ID on the new.FamilySearch.org site. This means that most people in Utah and the Pacific northwest cannot yet use them, but we know that those of you who do have access to NFS will be excited to start using these tools immediately.

I downloaded Ancestral Quest 12.1 on the 60 day trial plan 3 days ago. Have been using the program, almost constantly, for more than 2 days and am amazed at its' capabilities to interface between PAF 5.2, use as a stand-alone program and New FamilySearch.

I was easily able to link and synchronize my family groups. It also has the capability of copying notes or other data easily into either your database or into New FamilySearch.

This would be an ideal, stand-alone program, who has been doing their family history work the old, write it all by hand way and does not have anything in a genealogy software program.

With this great technology, you can work on your "family tree" on New FamilySearch then, when all your combining, etc. is done, you would be able to import the entire work from New FamilySearch right into Ancestral Quest 12.1. I verified this fact with the AQ team on the phone.

If you are worried about having to do things twice or even three times because of needing to manually copy data found on New FamilySearch, think again, because this program eliminates all that extra work.

Take a look at the video demo and go for the 60 day trial of this great product yourself. I guarantee you'll be "hooked" on its' super qualities very quickly.